Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan who unveiled the trailer of his upcoming film Zero on the occasion of his birthday on Friday, 2 November, said that he was touched by the gesture of Salman Khan doing a cameo in the film.

During the trailer launch of the film when he was asked about how Salman came on board, Shah Rukh told the media: “Anand (L. Rai, Director) has spoken to Katrina (Kaif) regarding this film quite sometimes ago and that time Salman also heard the story.”

“Then Salman called and said that there was this story and hear it. The coincidence is that, when finally, I said yes to the film, after that he said that I will be a part of this film for sure, by doing a song. That was very dignified and loving of him.”

The film also features Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif. It is interesting to observe that after Yash Chopra’s Jab Tak Hai Jaan this trio is coming together all over again to execute Rai’s vision.

Talking about her journey Anushka said: “This year I am completing 10 years in Bollywood. I made my debut with Shah Rukh and now after 10 years, in 2018 I am doing another film with him, it is so special and this is how life has come in a full circle.”

In the film Shah Rukh is playing a character of a dwarf and Anushka and Katrina are playing a physically challenged person and an actress respectively.

After Priyanka Chopra walked out of Salman Khan’s Bharat owing to personal reasons, DNA has reported that Katrina Kaif, who was the makers’ original choice, has joined the cast. A source told the publication that producers Atul and Alvira Agnihotri share a warm relationship with Kaif and when Chopra’s departure from the film was announced, they called Kaif and sorted out her dates. Kaif, who will play the female lead opposite Khan, is expected to join the team in September.

DNA also found that Jackie Shroff, who has previously played on-screen dad to Akshay Kumar and Sidharth Malhotra in Brothers, will star as Khan’s father. “It’s essentially a beautiful story of a father and son, so when Jackie was offered the film, he liked the script and gave his nod.” The team is reportedly currently shooting in Mumbai and Shroff will join the crew around the end of September.

However, there has not been an official announcement regarding this development. While Priyanka has opted out of the Salman Khan starrer, she is also shooting for Shonali Bose’s The Sky is Pink alongside Farhan Akhtar and Zaira Wasim.

Bharat also has Tabu, Disha Patani, Sunil Grover in pivotal roles. It is a remake of the 2014 Korean film, Ode to My Father and will release in cinemas on Eid 2019.

Filmmaker Subhash Ghai has revealed that he was under pressure to cast Salman Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Shah Rukh Khan for his romantic drama Pardes.

The 1997 film featured Shah Rukh along with newcomers Mahima Chaudhry and Apurva Agnihotri.

For the role of Ganga (played by Mahima) and NRI Rajiv (played by Apurva), Ghai said his production house wanted Madhuri and Salman respectively.

“After several hits, Trimurti was Mukta Arts’ first flop. When a film flops, the industry is quick to write you off. I decided to write a film in my own style. When the script was over, we were discussing the casting, which was a big problem. My production house thought Shah Rukh could be in the film along with Salman, playing an NRI, and Madhuri would play the central character.

“I had narrated ‘Ganga’s’ character to Madhuri during Khalnayak too. But I wanted newcomers paired with Shah Rukh. His Trimurti had flopped and DDLJ (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge) had worked, so I knew he was a great performer,” Ghai said.

Trimurti released in 1995, helmed by Mukul Anand, featured Shah Rukh along with Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff in the lead. The 72-year-old director said though people in his production house wanted the three superstars together, he was not convinced.

“My office wanted me to make the film with Salman, Madhuri and Shah Rukh because then it would be a big film and losses of Trimurti would be covered as well. They were right too. But the director in me wasn’t convinced that we need such a big star cast.

“I said three big stars won’t go well in the script that I have. I wanted someone who looked like he has come from foreign for the NRI part. It was a big challenge but I finally managed to get Mahima, Apurva and Shah Rukh,” he said.

The director was speaking at the special screening of the film, which completed 20 years in August. It was showcased at New Excelsior Cinema, which was recently acquired by Mukta A2 Cinema, a branch of Ghai’s Mukta Arts.

Ghai said another challenge for him once the cast was locked was to present Shah Rukh in a non-romantic role.

“Shah Rukh’s image had turned romantic after DDLJ but this role wasn’t romantic at all. The challenge was to tell Shah Rukh that he won’t be like a romantic hero in any shot.

Mumbai: National Award-winning filmmaker Arbaaz Khan, who produced the Salman Khan-starring, commercially successful Dabangg series, says that he has started scripting the new sequel of the franchise that will go on the floor in the middle of 2018.

“Yes, we have started scripting the film and I think we will start shooting Dabangg 3 by the middle of the next year,” the actor-filmmaker told the media at the trailer launch of his upcoming film Tera Intezaar.

As Sunny Leone, who is the co-star in the film, was also present, Arbaaz, asked if he is planning to cast her to do an item number like ‘Munni Badnaam’, said, “Yes, why not? And why would she be a Munni, we can cast her for something different, but for that, we have to finalize something.”

Arbaaz has shared his screen space with Sunny for the first time Tera Intezaar and according to him, “one of the reasons I did the film, was to spend some time with Sunny. She is wonderful and we had a great time shooting in abroad”.

Asked about if he is planning to promote the film in Bigg Boss 11, which is hosted by his brother, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, Arbaaz said, “Well, I think that is the producer to decide. If we have the opportunity, and the Colors channel allows us to do so, why not.”

He added, “Though I do not watch Bigg Boss every day but I like watching the show. Earlier, few seasons, I followed; I watched all episodes when Sunny (Leone) was in the show.”

Jacqueline Fernandez had confirmed her involvement in Race 3, alongside Salman Khan, a while ago.

Firstpost had also earlier reported that Sidharth Malhotra might be joining the cast of the action thriller, as the makers are looking for a fresh face with Khan. However, according to a bollywoodhungama.com, apart from Malhotra, Aditya Roy Kapur is also in final talks with producer Ramesh Taurani for a role in the film.

The two actors have not had an exceptional year at the box office. While Malhotra’s A Gentleman bombed at the box office, Kapur’s Ok Jaanu also failed to leave an impression.

The report suggests that in order to turn the tables in their favour, the two are hoping to get cast alongside Khan’s, in roles that would otherwise be underwhelming considering their star power.

Demanding a remuneration much lesser than what they usually command in the market, both the actors are staggering under the pressure of delivering a hit. However, despite the conjectures, there is no official word of confirmation on these developments.

An inside source also revealed to the publication that Taurani himself does not feel the need to have another male actor alongside Khan.

Editor’s note: With Shah Rukh Khan’s Fan and Salman Khan’s Tubelight not quite hitting the mark in terms of box office success, there are some crucial question we found ourselves thinking about. Is Bollywood’s male movie-star bound by his ‘image’? What happens when stars experiment, and give their fans something ‘new’? What happens when their experiments fail and how do the stars themselves react to this failure? This is part two of a three part analysis on this very idea — what is bigger, the star or the image of the star?

In the just-released Jagga Jasoos, Ranbir Kapoor plays a Tintin-esque detective. The film itself is cast in the mould of a Broadway musical, not seen before in Bollywood, and includes 21 songs.

Ranbir’s played varied roles before — be it the coming-of-age Wake Up Sid or the everyman in Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year, and even Tamasha. Still, Jagga Jasoos is an ‘experiment’ for the actor.

What’s interesting that this ‘experimentation’ is being engaged in by actors across the spectrum in the Hindi film industry. Just a few weeks ago, we had Salman Khan playing a man with developmental difficulties in Tubelight. While that film flickered out at the box office, it was an attempt on Salman’s part to do a role different from his usual larger-than-life onscreen image. Meanwhile, his contemporary Shah Rukh Khan is also trying something different with Aanand L Rai’s next, in which he plays a dwarf; while Aamir Khan has — yet again — transformed himself entirely for his role in Thugs of Hindostan. Images of Aamir sporting long hair and a nosepin are already doing the rounds on social media.

A mere four years in the industry, and a Varun Dhawan can pull off a Badlapur, while a Sidharth Malhotra an work on an experimental thriller like Ittefaq.

Meanwhile, Ranveer Singh can charm viewers in an offbeat Lootera and play a rapper from the streets inZoya Akhtar’s Gully Boys. And an ‘outsider’ like Sushant Singh rajput can break into the Bollywood big league with unconventional films like Kai Po Che, Shuddh Desi Romance and Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!

Forty years ago, this would have been unimaginable. One could hardly conceive of an Amitabh Bachchan or Dharmendra — at the height of their superstardom — playing differently-abled characters in a film that had no romantic angle. There would always be a song-and-dance routine with a Rekha in Ghazab, or the metamorphosis of dim-witted Kallu into dashing Kaalia. They would, undoubtedly, give the greatest of performances, but in conventional vehicles like Deewar, Pratigyaa and Chupke Chupke.

But playing a differently-abled character in a realistic drama… well, that kind of experimentation was best left to a Sanjeev Kumar, as in the 1970 release Khilona. It was up to a Balraj Sahni to play a landless labourer in a stark drama like Do Bigha Zameen, while a Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor — as great as they were — displayed their histrionics in larger-than-life films like Mughal-E-Azam and Awara. Or Naseeruddin Shah, who played a visually impaired man in Sparsh, while Vinod Khanna or Jeetendra bashed up baddies and romanced heroines in their films. But today, if Randeep Hooda or Nawazuddin Siddiqui are experimenting with their roles, so are the big stars like Salman, Shah Rukh.

It is not at all a coincidence that Aamir’s Lagaan, a film where a major Bollywood star experimented with both form as well as content, came within a decade of economic liberalisation, exposure to satellite television and invasion of the internet, followed by the multiplex revolution. The audience was changing and the stars were quick to realise it. Aamir tried to follow the same experimental route with Mangal Pandey — and though it proved less successful, he continued down that route.

Shah Rukh made the attempt with Swades, although it was Chak De India that proved to be his first major ‘experimental’ success.He continued walking off the beaten path with Karan Johar’s My Name is Khan and more recently, Yash Raj Films’ Fan. Salman may have started late, but he seems to be making up for lost time with Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Sultan and Tubelight. And if an Ajay Devgn has a Drishyam in his kitty, then Bollywood’s ultimate khiladi, Akshay Kumar has made it a point to pick unique subjects with films like Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Padman and Gold.

These are definitely good times to be a Bollywood (film) viewer. We are fortunate to watch our favourite actors in unusual and experimental roles in an image-obsessed industry. As horizons have expanded, and tastes have evolved, it’s no longer a stretch for viewers to see their favourite stars go from playing the typical romantic/action hero to ageing wrestlers — or dwarves.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that after the Dangal and Baahubali mania, the next film to do justice to the term “most-awaited” would be Salman Khan and Kabir Khan’s Tubelight.

There’s been much buzz about the film. In Tubelight, set against the backdrop of the Indo-China war of 1962, Salman plays a do-gooder who is very close to his brother. He’s a little slow, and is therefore called a Tubelight by everyone. The film also stars Chinese actress Zhu Zhu and Sohail Khan. The film is a remake of Little Boy.

Given the massive success of two big Bollywood films globally, Dangal and Baahubali, it is being touted that bigger opportunities have opened for future Bollywood films globally.

DNA reports that Salman is planning a grand release in China and premier for Tubelight, and since the film already has a Chinese connect (it has multiple Chinese actors), the box office collections are expected to sky rocket. With Zhu Zhu being a big name, trade experts are predicting 700-800 crore collections from China itself.

And so, the big question on everyone’s mind is, how much of this profit will Salman Khan be pocketing for himself?

A source from the crew of Tubelight has revealed that the film has been made at a budget of Rs 170 crore, and Salman Khan has taken a signing amount of Rs 60 crore. This is due to the fact that all his films bag satellite rights worth Rs 60 crore, which is regardless of its box office fate.

It was further revealed that Salman will also be bagging half the profits of the film. This could also be because he is the producer on the film, asTubelight is jointly produced by Kabir Khan Films and Salman Khan Productions. (Please note that these figures are not verified by the makers of the film).

That Salman and company shot the deer 18 years ago is pretty much an accepted truism.

The Jodhpur court ruling that Khan be given the benefit of doubt makes one wonder where the doubt is? Unless the chinkara died of fear or was so overwhelmed by the star’s presence the bullet wound in his body would have wiped out any doubt that it was slain by gunfire. Bullets have a funny way of leaving the barrel of a weapon and striking the target they were meant for. The slug can also be traced back to the weapon and through its rifling and the groove marks be 100 percent identified as to which weapon it was chambered into.

It took eighteen years to get to this point and underscore the doubt. Says very little for our justice system but in a nation where ‘shikar’ not so long ago was an accepted practice of the royals, the zamindars, the nawabs, the armed forces and the landed gentry and sundry VIPs the harassment and mental agony of 18 years certainly serves as a severe and undeserved penalty and punishment for this actor. Just the pressure of never knowing if you are going to be locked up and being shunted from town to town makes the dues paid for his crime paid in full and with pernicious interest.

We go into depression if a bank calls about an overdue credit card payment by a day. A missed EMI sends us into a panic.

For 18 years we hounded this man just to let him off the hook with timid dispensation.

The hypocrisy is astounding. And widespread. On the way to Shimla you pass a town called Solan. On one of the U turns one used to get the finest venison and partridge pickle in the world. It probably still is available even though to the chosen few.

The armed forces regularly shot down sambhars and cheetals for a bara khana (feast) for the brigade commander and they often used semi-automatic weapons fired into the herd. Plump black or brown partridge may be officially banned but are probably trapped and still served on executive and government officials’ tables. If fish was on the menu the use of a 90 grenade in a pond would stun a few dozen freshwater fish in a balloon of water caused by the explosion and also destroy the eco-system of that pond which probably took years to form.

No one thought anything of these exercises. From Jhansi to Gwalior to Jabalpur to the forests of Rajasthan to the foothills of Kumaon, Jammu Tawi and Udhampur, from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh’s lush forests hunting was a sport.

You did not have to like it but it was a sport.

Even the laws are archaic. Shooting deer may be illegal but the nilgai which is now classified as vermin for the crops it destroys is running riot because of the security in its name. it is not bovine cattle, but belongs to the antelope family. In 2016 Bihar ordered wild boar and nilgai to be culled because of their nuisance. Woe betide anyone who might shoot a nilgai especially if it becomes a caste thing. Try explaining that National Geographic calls it an antelope when the lynch mob is stringing you up.

Certainly, a law was broken in Salman Khan’s case but you have to be particularly vindictive to think he should be punished further.

Eighteen years of harassment for suspected killing of a deer.

In a country where the walls of every lodge, every ‘bara sahib’ club, every armed forces ‘koi hai’ mess are covered with the heads and skins of wildlife this robbery of a man’s peace of mind is an injustice in itself.

The duo gave us two blockbusters in Ek Tha Tiger (2012) and Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015), and the runaway success of these projects led them to join hands again for Tubelight, which is currently under production, first in Ladakh and now in Manali.

Now, if recent reports are to be believed, Salman Khan and Kabir Khan will be teaming up again for Atul and Alvira Agnihotri’s home production.

Rajkumar Santoshi was to reportedly direct the movie but things did not fall into place. It was then Salman who recommended that Kabir take the project on.

DNA reports, “Salman has immense faith in Kabir as a filmmaker. When Atul and Alvira were looking out for a director to helm their next project, Salman suggested Kabir’s name. He has become like a family member to the Khans.”

The actor and the filmmaker are currently shooting the second schedule of Tubelight. After its completion, the director will move on to his next – a film, based on the 1983 Cricket World Cup victory of India, which will be produced by Phantom Films. The cricket drama is expected to go on floors later this year.

As for the actor, Yash Raj Films recently announced Tiger Zinda Hai, the sequel to Ek Tha Tiger, starring Khan and Katrina Kaif. The movie will be directed by Ali Abbas Zafar of Sultan fame and will hit the theatres on Christmas 2017.